Hypnotherapy
for Fertility
For some fortunate couple's conception happens with apparent ease with little planning or foresight. Hypnotherapy for fertility can have a beneficial effect on 1 in 7 couples in the UK who find it difficult to conceive. It is also known to be helpful for those who are currently undergoing IVF or other fertility-enhancing treatments.
It may be, that you made the decision to contact your doctor, who has referred you to other professionals to help find out the reasons behind your difficulty in conceiving. Statistics, however, tell us that in approximately 25% of cases of couples who struggle with infertility there is no known physical cause.
If you are in a position of not knowing the cause of your infertility but know that it is not a result of a physical impairment, then no doubt you are looking to do everything in your power to increase your chances of success.
We know that lifestyle choice can have either a positive or negative effect on fertility rates. In men risk factors for infertility affect the number, quality and mobility of sperm. In women, it can affect their ability to produce and release eggs as well as other issues connected to their reproductive system. It is thought that both men and women can help to improve their fertility by reducing their alcohol intake and stopping smoking. Other ways include refraining from taking recreational drugs, taking moderate exercise, reducing their weight to normal levels and eating a balanced diet.
It is probable that during your research you have become aware that hypnotherapy for fertility can help to increase your chances of success. There is growing evidence to suggest that high stress and anxiety levels can have a detrimental impact on fertility rates. In our modern lives, it can sometimes feel like it’s impossible to avoid a build-up of stress. Work, financial and relationship pressures can feel like a constant unwanted companion. If you are unsuccessfully trying to conceive, then this can elevate levels of stress even further. Levels of both conscious and unconscious stress can rise significantly. These can have a negative effect on the physical and mental health of all those concerned. Life can seem very overwhelming.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy for fertility can be a very effective way of helping to naturally lower stress and anxiety levels by enhancing your brain’s ability to process it. Together we can change the way you think and feel in order that you achieve a more restful state. Helping your body to achieve the right conditions for conception to take place.
Together we can use online hypnotherapy to help your body achieve homeostasis, which has been found to significantly help improve both chances of conception and successful IVF treatment.
Anxiety is a mind/ body reaction to stress. As a species throughout history, we’ve had to cope with the threat of constantly being under attack from other tribes or wild animals.
Throughout evolution, our brain has become very good at looking out for threats. When it perceives that we were under attack it initiates a stress response. When activated our bodies are flooded with stress hormones. This increased our alertness and increase our heart rate and breathing rate. Anxiety is a response to a natural threat that was necessary for our survival.
Anxiety can build up gradually. There doesn’t need to be one life-threatening event for our stress response to be activated. Spending large amounts of time under stress can shut down reproductive functioning. If you feel under high levels of stress then it makes it very difficult for you to conceive. It’s possible that currently, your body doesn’t offer the right conditions to look after and care for a foetus. Your brain has switched your body to survival mode, so just looking after your own health is its main priority. Thankfully these conditions are not permanent, during our time together we will focus on lowering your production of stress hormones helping you to achieve the necessary conditions to improve your chances of conception.
The effect of stress and anxiety on fertility
Prolonged stress will mean that you will be unconsciously producing more health-damaging stress hormones. These excess stress hormones may mean that you often feel jittery and that you find it difficult to switch off and relax. Our brain regulates both our stress response and our sex hormones, testosterone in males and oestrogen and progesterone in females. Excessive stress causes an imbalance in our hormonal system. This can lead to anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles in women.
Alongside cortisol, adrenaline is released during times of stress. It increases our alertness and prioritises blood flow to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This means that less blood flows to the reproductive system.
When you are under stress less blood flow is sent to your uterus and ovaries which impairs their functioning. It can also restrict blood flow to the penis making it difficult for a man to either get or maintain an erection.
In addition, adrenaline also negatively affects fertility by inhibiting the production of progesterone which is essential for building and lining the uterus. High-stress levels are also known to adversely affect the chances of conception by increasing levels of prolactin. Prolactin is released during breastfeeding to inhibit fertility, reducing the chances of falling pregnant whilst still caring for an infant.
In men, psychological stress is thought to affect the quality of sperm and lower testosterone levels which can lead to oxidative stress. This is a condition where there is an imbalance between the oxidants and antioxidants necessary for producing and maintaining healthy sperm cells. Studies have shown that continued high-stress levels in men can lead to lower semen volume, total sperm count and sperm concentration as well as lowering the number of healthy sperm available.
How can hypnotherapy for fertility help?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy offers a holistic approach to mental health and well-being improvement. The methods used replicate the way your brain works when it’s functioning well. By lowering your anxiety levels, you reduce the production of fertility inhibiting hormones and increase your levels of serotonin. This helps your body to achieve homeostasis. Your body achieves the right conditions for falling pregnant. This can help to significantly improve your chances of conception.
During our hypnotherapy for fertility sessions, you will be helped to reframe your thoughts and focus on some of the more positive aspects of your life. I understand that in addition to the normal daily pressures surrounding work and relationships, infertility can bring with it its own unique stressors. Hoping each month will bring you the news that you want is no doubt a very stressful experience.
We will spend time each session discussing the aspects of your future that you feel you would like to change. With Solution Focused Hypnotherapy we always look forward. You will be encouraged to visualise and discuss what your best hopes are for the future. We then use hypnosis to help you work towards attaining this wonderful picture built up in your mind.
Perhaps you are interested in hypnotherapy as you’re currently undergoing IVF and have heard that hypnosis can significantly increase the chances of conception. A study in 2004 of 185 women revealed that using hypnosis doubled the successful implantation rate. The increased success rate was found to be due to the relaxed state that the women were in at the time of implantation. When the women were not in a relaxed trance state, the stress of the procedure crested small contractions in the uterus. This prevented the successful implantation of the fertilised egg. The methods and techniques taught to you during our sessions can help you quickly lower your anxiety levels. You will be provided with your own download that you can use at any point in the future.
We can also use Solution Focused Hypnotherapy to increase the chances of fertility by helping you to lead a healthier lifestyle.
I believe that you have everything that you need within you to reduce your anxiety and achieve the right hormonal conditions to improve your chances of conception. You will be provided with all the knowledge and resources necessary to enable yourself to make lifelong change. I will support you up until the point that you decide that you no longer need my help.